Joy Kong, MD explains why using your own stem cells for transplant may backfire. By age 20, your cells are already less potent than at birth. They accumulate DNA damage, lose their ability to fight inflammation, and can't police cancer as well as younger cells.
If you think that using your own cells is the best, then you might be mistaken. As we age, our cells decline with us. Even when you're 20 years old, your cells are not as powerful as when you were first born, so your stem cells is no different. Just like sperm and egg will decline in its quality as we age, so do your stem cells. If you think that using your own cells is the best, then you might be mistaken. As we age, our our cells decline with us. Even when you're 20 years old, your cells are not as powerful as when you were first born, so your stem cells is no different. Just like sperm and egg would decline in its quality, as we age, so do your stem cells. So we have a lot of stem cells in the body. Mesenchymal stem cells is a major source. They're everywhere, so they're hovering around your blood vessels. There are all kinds of other stem cells too. So whichever stem cells that you utilize, they all decline. When you age, the DNA changes. Their differentiation potentials are not as good. Their inflammatory factors is lower. They're not as neuroprotective. Also, their ability to detect cancer has declined. So it may tell all your cells to grow. Maybe not such a good idea if it's a cancer cell.
